Juniors make a winning return against Lower Maze

Town Juniors Under 16s Mid-Ulster League side returned to action after a long winter break with a 3-1 win in a Cup clash against Lower Maze at Scarva Park.

The Juniors looked as though they had never had a break as they began the game on the front foot, passing the ball about firmly and intently.

The Banbridge side had Maze shell-shocked as they launched a wave of attacks and began creating chances. With 11 minutes on the clock, the Juniors won a corner which Maze cleared only to the feet of dynamic midfielder Ryan Sloan who lobbed the Maze keeper from all of 30 yards to give the side the lead.

From this goal, Maze rallied and the two sides began to go toe-to-oe. On 18 minutes Maze won the ball in midfield and broke to equalise with their first shot of the match. Both sides battled well however the scores remained level at half-time.

The second half began in the same fashion as the first, with the Juniors playing all the football.

Ryan Angus and Jack Hamilton dominated the midfield as they fed willing runners Mark Adams and Liam Farrell on the wings looking to go ahead for a second time.

Seven minutes into the second half, captain Jordan Walker floated in a free-kick which was headed back across goal by winger Mark Adams and buried by right back Josh Dennison to put the locals 2-1 up.

The Juniors grew in confidence and pushed on as they tried to kill the game. Juniors keeper Conor Ward was rock solid at the back as he dealt expertly with anything that came towards him.

The game was put to bed on 32 minutes when Jake Dermott whipped in a corner which was deflected into his own net by a Maze defender to wrap up a 3-1 victory for the Juniors in a game they never looked like losing.

Man of the match was midfielder Ryan Angus who terrorised the Maze midfield from the first whistle to the last while being the driving force for his team.